SAS 70 Data Centers Help Protect Against Data Breaches

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Online Tech’s security measures protect one of our most important assets, our patient’s data. Their SAS 70 audit ensures that these measures are compliant with HIPAA guidelines - This brings us the peace of mind that our data is safe

Ann Arbor, MI (PRWEB)December 9, 2009

Online Tech, a SAS 70 managed data center operator, provides data security measures critical for HITECH act compliance. With the recent passing of the new HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) act – an addition to pre-existing HIPAA rules and regulations – the stakes for data breaches to private health information are rising. With possible fines up to 1.5 million and mandatory public disclosure of the breach in some cases, the issues of data security and data encryption are now more important than ever.

Recognizing this requirement in data security from their clients, Online Tech recently went through its SAS 70 Type II audit at all of their data centers in order to deliver a reliable and repeatable set of secure data and network services. By completing the SAS 70 audit process, Online Tech’s clients have assurance that each of its data centers consistently demonstrates the same high standard of security and control.

A recent study conducted by Crowe Horwath found that the majority of the 77 organizations that they polled had one or more data breach incidents involving the loss or outright theft of protected health information over the last two years. Under the new act, future breaches could be subject to stiff penalties and public disclosure of the incidents.

“Online Tech’s security measures protect one of our most important assets, our patient’s data. Their SAS 70 audit ensures that these measures are compliant with HIPAA guidelines - This brings us the peace of mind that our data is safe,” says Thomas May, co-founder of MedHub.

The health industry is not the only one feeling the pressure to secure their data. Earlier this year, Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation’s largest payments processors, suffered a data breach costing as much as a 50 percent hit in their share price among other fines, penalties, and lawsuits. Forrester Research estimates the cost of a data breach between $90 and $300 per record, which can quickly add up to millions of dollars even when dealing with as little as a few thousand records.

Among data encryption services, physical and procedural data security assurances, Online Tech offers a Universal Threat Management service for intrusion and port scanning detection and prevention, as well as protection against Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS attacks. Online Tech’s network is constantly being reviewed, upgraded, and patched to ensure that it is secure, and up and running 24 x 7.

“Data security and compliance has become an increasingly important issue for our clients. The new HITECH act raises the stakes of data breaches and the importance of encrypting private data. Our stringent data security policies and SAS 70 audited data centers allow us to provide our clients with the level of data protection they need,” says Mike Klein, President of Online Tech.